New online history courses offer “new pathways to discovery”

History Professor Michael Egan goes in front of the cameras to record a video segment for History 2EE3: Science & Technology in World History.

History Professor Michael Egan goes in front of the cameras to record a video segment for History 2EE3: Science & Technology in World History.


Three new, completely online History courses are now available to all McMaster students.

The courses, developed by faculty in McMaster’s Department of History in collaboration with specialists from the MacPherson Institute, formerly known as the McMaster Institute for Innovation & Excellence in Teaching & Learning (MIIETL), are open to undergraduate students from all disciplines, as well as to students enrolled in My OWN McMaster – an exclusively online program offered by the McMaster Centre for Continuing Education.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer these History courses in a new format to a much broader audience,” says Pamela Swett, Chair of the History Department “Being able to offer these courses to students enrolled in our undergraduate History program as well as to the broader community through CCE’s My OWN Mac degree program is a real thrill for us.”

Swett says going online also allows for more flexible learning hours for students.

“Flexibility is key,” she says. “Students enrolled in an online course can review the material whenever they wish.”

Michael Egan, an Associate Professor of History who helped develop these courses, says going online offers students the opportunity to pace content and review materials more readily.

“I’m a strong believer in the idea that a course—any course—should be a pathway to inspiring new interests and curiosities,” says Egan. “Working with online material invites greater student independence in that discovery process. They are more free to reflect on how they might apply the course content to their other courses or to other activities in which they are participating.”

Three courses, History 2EE3: Science & Technology in World History, History 2SH3: Canadian Sport History, and History 3H03: Italian Renaissance from 1300-1600, make their debut this academic session. They join History 1DD3: Making of the Modern World, History 1M03 Ancient Greece and Rome, History 2A03 Modern Middle East and History 3WW3 Women, which were launched last year, in the rotation of online courses.

Three more online courses are currently planned for development.

Watch the following videos to learn more about the new online courses:

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